Lost and Found
by Lilly-Lace Golden
Summary: While waiting a meeting with the Earth Queen, Suyin sees something on the streets of Ba Sing Se she does not like. She offers protection to someone who needs it most.


_I have been engrossed in Xenoblade lately, but the other night I could not sleep. Korra was on, and I realized I had never written this. I have had a couple of people ask me to do it, and do it I shall!_

 _Lost and Found_

Ba Sing Se was a nice city, but it was never a city Suyin Beifong loved to visit. She was called on often, in order to treat with the Earth Queen usually, but sometimes others sought her out. The Earth Queen was fond of calling on her and making her wait, her way of expressing annoyance at Suyin for being a separate part of the Earth Kingdom.

And Suyin was more beloved than she ever thought to be.

If the queen knew how little it bothered Suyin, she would be even more furious. But Suyin enjoyed walking through the city, seeing the people, and buying presents for her family.

She also loved to speak to the citizens of Ba Sing Se. Their input and voices were more important than the Earth Queen's ever could be. The truth of the city would always be shown from the citizens.

Sometimes that truth was ugly.

As she walked through the stalls of a market, she heard a tiny cry. No one else looked up, but Suyin looked for the cause of it. A young couple were half leading, half dragging a small child who looked to be their daughter, through the market. Her grip on her mother's hand was tight, but not as tight as the woman's.

Suyin put down the doll she had been looking at, excused herself with the promise of returning to the vendor, and hurried after the couple.

"Where are we going?" the girl asked.

"Hush."

Suyin frowned. But she would wait before she said anything. She followed them unnoticed down several winding alleys. There was an abandoned building at the end of it. At least, it looked abandoned. Suyin could hear people inside. This was no place for a child.

"There are people here, someone will watch you."

The girl grasped her mother's sleeve and started to cry. "I don't want to stay," she whimpered.

"Too bad, this is - "

The couple gasped and the child cried harder. Suyin had seen and heard more than enough. She used her bendin to create a rock wall at the end of the alley. The couple stared at her in disbelief.

"How can you bring her here?" Suyin demanded. "How can you plan to leave a young girl unattended in this part of the city?"

"There are benders..." the woman stammered. She gestured to the building. "The kids, they stick together." She bit her lip and looked close to tears herself. Suyin was unmoved.

"It isn't your business," the man said. His attitude was the opposite of his wife's. Whereas she was frightened and upset by Suyin's following them, he was angry. "You have no idea what it is like living with her!"

Suyin crossed her arms over her chest. The sight of the little girl pulling at her mother's sleeve cut deep, but she could not fold in front of this couple.

"It's too much! She sees things, she talks to things."

"She's a monster!"

Suyin walked over to them. Both parents at least had the decency to flinch as she neared. But she was not going to use her bending. She instead crouched to the girl's level and gently removed her small fingers from the fabric. "Come here," she whispered to her. She was met with a teary dark green gaze. For a moment, she wondered if the girl would not and insist on going with her parents. Then she reached out for Suyin.

"The only monsters here," Suyin said as the child pressed her face against Suyin's shoulder, "are you two."

She left them alone, hoping her words would ring in their ears. She dropped the rock wall and carried the sniffling girl to the market. "What is your name?" she asked.

After a couple of sniffles and a hiccup, the girl answered. "Himiko."

Suyin decided her business in the Earth Kingdom capital would have to wait. There were more important things to tend to. She stopped long enough to grab something for the two of them to eat. Himiko did not move or fidget. She continued to hold onto Suyin until they left the city.

Suyin slowly lowered Himiko to her feet. She handed her a dumpling and began to speak.

"My driver will take us back to my city, where no one will leave you behind. It's a long trip, but you'll be safe. And I won't leave you. Do you know why your parents...?" She searched for a proper way to put it, but she did not need to.

In a small voice, Himiko replied, "They don't like spirits."

"You see spirits?" Himiko nodded. Suyin smiled. "Well, I think that's wonderful." Himiko smiled back.

She held onto Suyin's hand, and ate with the other, as Suyin conversed with her driver. He was concerned that Suyin had left without seeing the queen, but Suyin brushed off his worries. "I'm not worried about her. What can she do to us?"

"Declare war?"

"I want to get her somewhere safe."

Suyin led Himiko to the jeep. She sat down and pulled the young girl on her lap. The ride was quiet, and that was fine with Himiko. She laid with her head against Suyin's shoulder, watching tiny dragonflies that only she could see flutter around the vehicle. Eventually, she fell asleep.

She slept until they reached Zaofu. A male voice woke her up. "Suyin! You're back so early. I was worried - "

"Something else came up." Suyin shifted Himiko to her other shoulder. Himiko blinked rapidly at the sudden light and buried her face against Suyin's shoulder again.

"Another?"

"Baatar, they were going to leave her in the streets!" Suyin's voice was hushed, but Himiko could still hear the anger. "For seeing spirits?"

Even Baatar became furious. "That is a completely ridiculous reason!" He reached out and touched Himiko's hair. She peered at him curiously. He softened and whispered, "We'll discuss this later. What do we do for now?"

"Now, I think she needs somewhere to sleep." Suyin carried her to one of the guest rooms in her own house. It was down the hall from her and Baatar's room. As soon as Himiko was placed in the freshly made bed, she fell right back to sleep. Suyin stroked her hair and kissed her head before leaving the room.

"The Queen will be angry you did not see her."

"There are some things more important than politics and meetings."


End file.
